The Cricket Thread

Essex will lose Amir for the rest of the CC season (and Finals Day, should they get there). Pakistan have recalled all their players.

 

Excellent result for us today, with Somerset losing to Kent.

 

Evenin all. I unfortunately totaly missed yesterdays T20 Bash. Does anyone know if there are any available highlights that I could watch??

 

And some nice results for us today. Win Friday & in QF's. Probably there already, as I think it's only Surrey who can overtake us?

Edit. No a few still can overtake us, so probably still need to win.

 

Glamorgan fight back to beat Somerset off the final ball. Both sides join us on 13 games played. Glamorgan overtake us, but Somerset cannot now catch us - even if they were to thrash us on Friday. So on balance, I think that's a good result for us.

Surrey and Essex beating Sussex and Gloucs has really bunched things up below us and Glamorgan though - although has also meant that Sussex cannot catch us either. Top five finish for us is secured, at a minimum (any of Kent, Essex and Surrey could finish above us, but only a maximum of two - because Kent would have to win both their final two games, and they are against Essex and Surrey)

 

Actually, I think that is us qualified, if you assume no ties or no-results. I missed out Surrey v Gloucs.

Three sides obviously need to overtake us to knock us out of top four. Mathematically only Essex, Kent, Surrey and Gloucs can catch us. But to do so, each would have to win all their remaining matches (if you ignore ties or no-results). But given that there is Essex v Kent, Kent v Surrey, and Surrey v Gloucs still to come, it means that it is impossible for three of those four to win all their remaining matches.

Only a tie/no-result being thrown in there could scupper us now.

 

I think our RR is too good anyway., but it would be great to get a home tie for the Q/F.

 

Our RR won't come into it unless there are several ties in the next round which is highly unlikely. I suppose there could be washouts.

 

Indeed. Because in the event that that tie or no-result does get thrown in, then yes our strong NRR would probably still save us.

(Thinking about it more, the tie or no-result has to be in the Surrey-Gloucs game. With Surrey and Essex both then beating Kent, in addition to Essex beating Sussex and Gloucs beating Middlesex - and us losing to Somerset. That would see Essex on 16 points, and us, Surrey and Gloucs all on 15 points. Because Kent are that one point extra back, I can't immediately see another combination of results that gets at least three of them onto 15 points. And yes, our NRR is just so much better than Surrey and Gloucs right now)

 

As Brendy explained it, the only way we could not qualify is a tie/no result between Surrey and Glous and even then our RR would save us.

 

It's a rare season where I'm actually not fussed about securing a home QF, given that we've performed much better away this season.

But I still think it is important to win on Friday. Firstly, to keep up momentum. The fixtures are slightly different this season such that you go straight from the group stage to the QFs (often there is a gap of say a couple of weeks). So going in on the back of three consecutive wins could be huge (especially given the lack of Rilee, Topley and, presumably, Carberry). Secondly, to avoid Notts. Now I know that we do have two QF wins at Trent Bridge, but I'd still rather not take our chances against Hales if you can avoid it. A nice match-up against Derbyshire, Leicester or Birmingham would please me.

 

I think that we have sussed now to prepare slow wickets for our 3 spinners, like we have in the past. That was definately a factor in our win against Glamorgan.

 

Unfortunately, there is a strong risk that Crane will not be available for the QFs.

I suspect he'll be available for Friday night; with the first test being a day-night match starting on Thursday, he surely won't be selected - and thus would be released back to us to play instead, as is the norm, in that instance.

But if the SA test series is anything to go by, England don't like any squad members playing county cricket between test matches (including the squad members who didn't make the XI in the previous test). And the QFs are sandwiched in between the end of the first test and the start of the second test.

I suspect Crane would only be available if (a) he isn't selected for the second test, and (b) we're in the fourth QF. That is because the fourth QF is actually on the first day of the second test - so again opening up the option of non-selected squad members to be released.

 

Need season arguably the biggest Kolpak move to date could happen - cricinfo reporting that Morne Morkel might be next: http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/20326278/morne-morkel-targeted-potential-kolpak-signing

 

I can't see us signing him (we haven't got an unlimited budget after all) but imagine a new ball partnership of Morkel and Abbott in the County game!

 

Oh, I absolutely wasn't expecting us to be one of the three. Wage budget, as you say. Apparently Morkel is asking for stupid money (in county cricket terms). Might be too much for any county to agree to, even Surrey (without Sangakkara on the wage bill).

 

And now Hashim Amla

 

Qualification now a mathematical certainty. Gloucs cannot catch us.

 

England 137-2 at the moment with Cook on 63 and Root on 51. It seems to me that we always lose 2 quick wickets and don't start to score till Cook and Root are together.

 

Comment on bbc coverage earlier said , by the time they have found an opening partner for Cook , they will have to start looking for a replacement for Cook himself !